Time for a change?

Today was not a good day. It started at 5:00am when the stupid alarm went off. That's the time I had to get up this morning. Who in their right mind gets up that early in the morning? Whoever thought that was a good time to start the day should be tarred and feathered! Nevertheless, I had to get up early today to get to a meeting at 7:30. I agree 5:00am was a little early, but it gives me time to stare into space and veg while trying to wake up.

The traffic was a bear. I left home expecting to be at work about 20 minutes before the meeting, but it ended up being only about 3 minutes by the time I actually got there. It wasn't just regular traffic, but the school traffic that messed me up. I pass and high school and a middle school prior to getting to my school and that really slows you up. Parents dropping off their little darlings at 7:00am. It ended up taking me about 15 minutes to travel 3 blocks because of school traffic.

After my 7:30 meeting, the principal asked to meet with the teachers a few minutes before returning to their rooms. She asked if anyone would like to "volunteer" to transfer to another school as we have to cut another teacher. Our budget for this school year is pretty much non-existent and our numbers are down. In order to try to stay in the black, we're going to have to cut a teacher. Is anybody willing to leave? Hmmm...

This is big cause for concern for me. I'm not low man on the totem pole, but I am next in line. With the low man being forced now to leave, that puts me at the bottom of the pole. If anything happens, I'm next to get cut. And if prospects are not good for 2009-2010, I can pretty much count on not having a job next year. Granted, they do what they can to place you in another school, however, there are no guarantees. And, who knows if you will like the new school, principal, co-workers, etc? It's not a good situation. For the moment, I'm safe. But the way things are going, I don't see that cushion lasting for too long.

It worries me...it makes me wonder...they are making changes that are causing complete turmoil at the schools. (Ours is not the only school having this problem. Many schools had to cut teachers at the end of last year preparing for this year.) Perhaps the time has come to think about a career change.